Naked Space tries to do for Alien what Airplane did for Airport. They even brought Leslie Nielsen aboard as the spaceship’s captain. Originally, it was called The Creature Wasn’t Nice, but was retitled to Spaceship to cash in on Airplane. Later, it was rereleased as Naked Space to cash in on The Naked Gun. The point is, beware of any flick that changes titles TWICE to cash in on Leslie Nielsen movies.
It’s a shame too because it has a decent cast. The rest of the crew is made up of Cindy Williams (who was also in the director’s The First Nudie Musical), Gerrit Graham, and Patrick Macnee. (Writer/director Bruce Kimmel brings up the rear as the ship’s janitor.) Everyone, including Nielsen, is game, but the movie never gives them anything funny to do.
In theory, this should’ve worked. The problem is there are no laughs to be had. The humor mostly involves the ship’s computer talking like a radio DJ, Macnee wanting to name every little discovery after himself, and Graham acting like a chauvinist. None of it was really funny the first time, and their repeated antics wears thin fast. In addition to Airplane, it seems Naked Space also wants to ape Kentucky Fried Movie as there is a cooking show segment and a preview for a Dirty Harry spoof. The lamest scene finds the crew holding a talent show where Williams does a musical number.
Oh, and speaking of musical numbers, the creature also performs the song, “I Want to Eat Your Face”, but he garners no yucks or yuks. The monster is bad on purpose and looks like a cross between Grimace and a strawberry Gusher. Sadly, it’s probably the best thing about the whole shoddy enterprise.
With a good script and actual laughs, Williams could’ve made for a strong Ripley stand-in. Too bad Kimmel resorts to a lot of unfunny side business and dumb musical numbers. He also peppers in snippets from This Island Earth, War of the Worlds, and Spectreman that acts as monster file footage, but it mostly it just feels like filler.
In short, this is one spoof that deserves to be shot into space.
AKA: The Creature Wasn’t Nice. AKA: Spaceship.
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